Josh Hawley Calls Out TSA for Allowing Illegal Migrants to Use Arrest Warrants on Planes

Sarah Arnold | July 22, 2022 9:30 PM

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) interrogated Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske for allowing illegal migrants to use arrest warrants as a form of identification when flying across the country.

During Pekoske's confirmation hearing, he was questioned on the agency's policy that permits civil "warrants" issued for immigration violations to be used as identification needed to board a flight, according to a letter.

Pekoske said that under 1,000 migrants have used civil arrest warrants or deportation notices as identification at airports.

In response, Hawley asked for a reason for dismissing the legal status of migrants when screening migrants through TSA.

"So we aren't looking at whether a person is legal or illegal in the country," Pekoske told Hawley, adding, "Because our role is to make sure that people that might pose a risk to transportation that's significant enough to either require enhanced screening or to not allow them to fly."

Hawley continued to question whether Pekoske is at all concerned about the person's security after confirming his position of "someone who is known to have violated the laws of the United States."

Pekoske got defensive claiming that travelers who have broken U.S. laws fly every day but that the agency looks at what relates to transportation security.